Loss is hard one to take

ELK GROVE - This wasn't how Justin Davis' brilliant career at Lincoln High was supposed to end.

Stephen Roberson

ELK GROVE - This wasn't how Justin Davis' brilliant career at Lincoln High was supposed to end.

Davis, The Record's 2011 Player of the Year who already has committed to play for USC next year, finished with 62 yards on 21 carries with no touchdowns in the No. 8 Trojans' 42-6 loss to No. 1 Elk Grove-Franklin in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinals Friday at Cosumnes Oaks High.

Davis, who lost a fumble in the first half, had five carries for no yards after halftime.

"They just came out harder than us," Davis said. "We couldn't really do anything about that. We tried to get things going, but they just played harder than us."

There were a few times in the first half that the Trojans' usually explosive offense appeared to start executing, but Franklin managed to shut it down every time.

No possession summed up the night better than Lincoln's drive at the end of the first and start of the second quarters. Already trailing 14-0, Trojans quarterback Zack Greenlee completed his longest pass of the night on the last play of the first quarter, a 44-yarder to Osha Washington that gave the Trojans a first down at the Franklin 11.

Any momentum seemed to die with the first quarter horn, though. Davis was stopped for no gain on first down, and Greenlee was sacked for a 13-yard loss on second.

Greenlee appeared to find Stephan Robinson in the end zone on third down, but the ball was knocked out of Robinson's hands. Greenlee was sacked again on fourth down, and Franklin's Kyran Harris - who finished with 118 yards and two touchdowns - took the first play of the ensuing drive on a toss left and raced 63 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0.

Greenlee finished 11 for 26 for 174 yards with no interceptions and a 30-yard touchdown to Ravon Alexander. Christian Fonbuena had 125 yards rushing and three touchdowns for the Wildcats (12-0).

For Lincoln (8-4), the loss wasn't a shock but the blowout was, particularly after last week's remarkable display in a 52-7 win over No. 9 Merced.

"For whatever reason our level of efficiency wasn't as high (as last week)," Lincoln coach Brian Gray said. "Our kids try hard and want to win. We're dealing with inconsistency and inefficiency. We have a lot of kids returning, and we got some good experience to hang our hat on."

It was a much different game than in 2011, when Lincoln ended Franklin's season with a 56-27 win at A.G. Spanos Stadium. Greenlee threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns in the win, and Davis had 201 yards and four touchdowns.

Franklin coach Mike Johnson, who won a section title as Lincoln's coach in 2000, said the Wildcats' entire defensive plan was based on containing Davis. "Here's the deal: I don't think you can shut him down," Johnson said. "He's so good. We spent all week saying, 'We have to stop him. If it goes to Greenlee and he goes crazy on us like last year, then that's life.' "

Johnson credited defensive coordinator Jim Rubiales, also a former Lincoln head coach.

"Coach Rubiales put together a great game plan, and we really took away (Davis') cut back. He's such a great cut-back runner."